Flooder assembly

ABSTRACT

A water activated battery initiated electrolytic timing device for controlling the delay period prior to flooding of a mine incorporating the flooding assembly. The electrolytic timer incorporates a valve actuation device for establishing fluid communication between a body of water external thereto and the interiormost chamber of the flooder assembly.

O United States Patent 1 13,559,580

[72] lnventor Robert .1. Lyon [56] References Cited Silver p UNITEDSTATES PATENTS fl fi f 19 2.705.919 4/1955 Semon 102/10 la 2 1971'3.205521 9/1965 Lyon 102/70.2x [7E5] Assignee The United States ofAmerica as represented FOREIGN PATENTS by the Secretary of Navy 265,1348/1912 Germany IOZ/lO Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. PrimaE v ry xam1ner-- erhn R. Pendegrass 1964 now Patent Attorneys-J. P.Dunlavey and J. O. Tresansky 3,205,321

ABSTRACT: A water activated battery initiated electrolytic [54] f W g DF gP timing device for controlling the delay period prior to floodingrawmg of a mine incorporating the flooding assembly. The elec- V [52]U.S. Cl .1 102/ 13 trolytic timer incorporates a valve actuation devicefor [51 Int. Cl F42b 22/22 establishing fluid communication between abody of water ex- [50] Field of Search 102/10. temal thereto and theinteriormost chamber of the flooder asl3.70.2: ZOO/61.05

IO ,2 l 25 l6 semblyi PATENTEU FEB2 I97! SHEET 1 UF 2 INVENTOR Robert J.Lyon ATTORNEY I PATENTED m2 19m SHEET 2 OF 2 m m: m 8N 3w Wm 3w MN m EMQN QQN mum m8 m9 5 INVENTOP Robert J. Lyon ATTORNEY FLOODER ASSEMBLYThis application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No.339.308. filed .Ian. 21. 1964. for. Miniature Electrolytic Timer with anErodable Anode. issued as US. Pat. No. 3,205,321, on Sept. 7, I965.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or forthe Government of the United States of America for governmental purposeswithout the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

This invention pertains to a novel flooder assembly and moreparticularly to a flooder assembly that is adapted to break a watertightseal in an underwater device such as a mine.

The flooder assemblies currently used. such for example as explosivedevices and electrolytic plugs. have numerous disadvantages. Theexplosive devices are dangerous to handle and may necessitate the use ofdry cells with a limited shelf life while the electrolytic plugs arehighly inaccurate since their time delay is dependent on the salinity.temperature and pressure of the sea water in which they are used.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improvedflooder assembly.

It is another object of this invention to provide a more accurateflooder assembly.

It is further an object of this invention to provide a more accurateflooder assembly.

These and other objects will become more apparent from the followingdescription of the annexed drawings, which illustrate a preferredembodiment, wherein:

FIG. 1 depicts a sectional view of the flooder assembly;

FIG. 2 depicts a sectional view of the electrolytic timer used in theflooder assembly; and

FIG. 3 is a diagram of the assemblys electrical circuit.

Referring to FIG. 1, the flooder assembly comprises a cylindrical shellwhich is open at both ends and is divided into chambers 11 and 12 by apartition 13 having a bore 14 and counter bores 15 and 16 which functionas a passage between the two chambers. Chamber 12 has a series ofcircular apertures 25 extending around its circumferential wall toconnect chamber 12 with the exterior of the housing. Chamber 12 isclosed by an end plate 18 having apertures 19 and 21 for the insertionof an electrolytic timer 100 and a rotary switch 200 respectively. Thetimer 100 extends through aperture 19 into chamber 12 and is held inplace by slotted plastic insert 20 located in bore 16. A plunger 101,extending through insert 20 located in bore A plunger 101, extendingthrough insert 20, is operatively connected to timer 100, said plungerhaving an enlarged head 102 which is positioned in bore 14 and counterbore 15. An O-ring 24 engages the plunger head and counterbore 15 toform a fluid tight seal closing the passage between chambers 11 and 12.When the timer 100 actuates the plunger 101, the head is moved intochamber 1 1 whereby breaking the seal between the head and O-ring 24 andfluid flows from chamber 11 through bore 14 and the slots in insert 20into chamber 12. The rotary switch 200, which contains a selector dial208, extends into chamber 12 through aperture 21 and is secured to endplate 18 by nut 23 and washer 22. Chamber 11 contains a water activatedbattery 17 and its open outer end may be closed by a cover 28 to protectthe battery from dust and moisture until the flooder assembly is placedin operation.

The flooder assembly is connected to a mine casing 50 by means of aninsert 51 having shoulders 52 and 53 and an annular groove 54. Theinsert is positioned in an aperture in the mine casing so that shoulder53 abuts against the casing and it is sealed to the casing by anysuitable means. An O-ring 31 is positioned between flanges 32 and 33 ofthe flooder assembly and the assembly is positioned in insert 51 so thatflange 32 abuts against shoulder 52 of the insert. A retaining ring 55is then snapped into groove 54 so that it abuts against flange 33thereby forming a fluid-tight seal between the flooder assembly, Oring31 and inset 51.

The timer 100, shown in FIG. 2, comprises a cylindrical shell 103 formedfrom a dielectric material, said shell having an electrolyte chamber 104and a plunger housing 105. The plunger housing is connected to thechamber 104 by bore 106 and counterbores 107 and 108. The plunger 101has a shoulder 111. a slot 109 and an axial bore 112 which is adapted tohold an anode wire 113. The anode wire 113. which has a head 117 whichis larger in diameter than bore 106. extends through bore 112,counterbores 108 and 107. and bore 106 into chamber 105. An O-ring 114engages plunger housing at counterbore 108 and anode 113 to form afluid-tight seal between plunger housing 105 and counterbore 107. Thedistance between the O-ring 114 and the wall 118 of chamber 104 ischosen so that it is greater than the maximum distance plunger 101travels so that there is no break in the fluid seal upon movement of theplunger.

In assembling the plunger assembly. the anode 113 is passed through bore106 from the inside of chamber 104. O-ring 114 is placed in counterbore108 and a washer 116 and a spring 115 are placed in the plunger housing105 in proper order. The plunger 101 is then placed and held in theplunger housing 105 so that anode wire 113 extends through bore 112 intoslot 109 where it is bent over to secure the plunger 101 as shown. Theplunger compresses spring 115 against washer 116 holding O-ring 114 incounterbore 108 and upon releasing the plunger 101, spring 115 actsagainst shoulder 111 forcing the plunger outwardly until the head 117 ofanode wire 113 abuts against wall 118 covering bore 106. The plungerhead 102 in this position closes the passage between chambers 11 and 12in FIG. 1.

The timer also includes cathode 119 sealed to cover 121 by any suitablemeans and leads 122 and 123, for connecting the cathode and anoderespectively to an electric circuit.

The electrical circuit 207 of the flooder assembly is shownschematically in FIG. 3 and it includes timer 100, battery 17 and rotaryswitch 200, the terminals of said rotary switch hav ing a plurality offixed resistors 202, 203, 204, 205 and 206, each of mutually differentresistance. connected thereto. Any one of the resistors may beselectively switched in a series connected relationship between thetimer and battery by means of the dial 208 for switch 200 as shown inFIG. 1. The remainder of the circuit includes lead 122 connecting thecathode with the rotary switch 200, lead 123 connecting the anode to thepositive terminal of the battery and lead 26 connecting the rotaryswitch to the negative terminal of the battery. The current in thecircuit is dependent upon which series resistor is connected to thetimer and battery by the rotary switch 200 upon positioning of the dial208 and as hereinafter explained more fully the resistance of thisselected resistor detennines the time delay of the flooder assembly.

In operation, dial 208 is set to place the proper resistor in thecircuit and the flooder assembly is attached to the mine casing 50 bythe means of insert 51. The dust cover 28 is removed and the mine isplaced in the water. Sea water, flowing into chamber 11, activatesbattery 17 and the current from the battery causes the anode 113 toerode by plating on the cathode. When the anode erodes sufficiently, itpermits passage of the remaining portion of the head 117 bore 106.contemporaneously with this action spring 115, which pushes againstshoulder 111, moves plunger head 102 into chamber 11 thereby opening thepassage between chambers 11 and 12. Sea water flows from compartment 11,through bore 14, counterbore 15, and the slots in insert 20, intochamber 12 and then into the mine through passages 25, said sea watersinking and disarming the mine. The total time for this operation isdependent upon the time it takes the anode to erode, which in turn isdependent upon the current in the circuit. Since the current in thecircuit is dependent upon the value of the resistor placed in serieswith the timer and battery, the time delay of the flooder assembly maybe selected by means of dial 208.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention arepossible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to beunderstood, that within the scope of the appended claims, the inventionmay be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

l claim:

I, A mine flooder assembly of the character disclosed for extending intoan aperture in a mine casing with a portion of the assembly locatedinside the mine casing and a portion extending outside of the mineeasing, said flooder assembly comprising:

a housing;

a partition disposed to divide said housing into first and second opencompartments, said first compartment normally being positioned withinthe mine casing and the opening in the second compartment normally beinglocated for fluid communication with the outside of the mine casing;

a first fluid conductive passage disposed to extend through saidpartition for operatively connecting said first and second compartments;

an electrolytic tie timer actuated flooding valve device disposed insaid first compartment, said electrolytic timer actuated flooding valvedevice disposed in said first compartment, said electrolytic timeractuated valve device comprising:

a second housing disposed within the second cm compartment of said firstmentioned housing, said second housing being open at both ends anddivided into a plunger housing and an electrolyte chamber,

cathode mounting means closing the open end of the electrolyte chamber,

a cathode disposed to project through said cathode mounting means intothe electrolyte chamber,

second fluid conductive passage connecting said electrolyte chamber andsaid plunger housing,

an anode normally disposed in said electrolyte chamber and having avalve actuating portion extending through said second passage into thevalve actuating plunger housing, said anode having an enlarged head onsaid valve actuating portion normally disposed in said electrolytechamber,

a plunger having an enlarged head, said plunger being located in theplunger housing. said anode being connected to said plunger, and

a spring biasing said plunger housing for urging said plunger means outof the plunger housing so that the enlarged head of the anode abutsagainst the wall of the electrolyte chamber covering the passage betweenthe plunger housing and the electrolyte chamber, the head of saidplunger in this position being so disposed in said second passage as toengage a sealing element disposed therein to therewith a fluid-tightseal,

a water actuated battery means in said second compartment; and

electric circuit means connecting the anode and cathode of saidelectrolytic timer whereby upon activation of said battery an electriccurrent flow is established to said timer to effect electrolytic erosionof said enlarged head on said anode and to maintain current flow untilsufficient erosion renders the anode small enough to fit through thesecond passage whereupon the plunger is actuated by the spring urgingthe plunger head completely through said passage and out into saidsecond compartment thereby rendering ineffective the seal between theplunger head and the first passage thereby establishing fluidcommunication between said first compartment, said second compartmentand the interior of the mine casing.

1. A mine flooder assembly of the character disclosed for extending intoan aperture in a mine casing with a portion of the assembly locatedinside the mine casing and a portion extending outside of the minecasing, said flooder assembly comprising: a housing; a partitiondisposed to divide said housing into first and second open compartments,said first compartment normally being positioned within the mine casingand the opening in the second compartment normally being located forfluid communication with the outside of the mine casing; a first fluidconductive passage disposed to extend through said partition foroperatively connecting said first and second compartments; anelectrolytic tie timer actuated flooding valve device disposed in saidfirst compartment, said electrolytic timer actuated flooding valvedevice disposed in said first compartment, said electrolytic timeractuated valve device comprising: a second housing disposed within thesecond cm compartment of said first mentioned housing, said secondhousing being open at both ends and divided into a plunger housing andan electrolyte chamber, cathode mounting means closing the open end ofthe electrolyte chamber, a cathode disposed to project through saidcathode mounting means into the electrolyte chamber, second fluidconductive passage connecting said electrolyte chamber and said plungerhousing, an anode normally disposed in said electrolyte chamber andhaving a valve actuating portion extending through said second passageinto the valve actuating plunger housing, said anode having an enlargedhead on said valve actuating portion normally disposed in saidelectrolyte chamber, a plunger having an enlarged head, said plungerbeing located in the plunger housing, said anode being connected to saidplunger, and a spring biasing said plunger housing for urging saidplunger means out of the plunger housing so that the enlarged head ofthe anode abuts against the wall of the electrolyte chamber covering thepassage between the plunger housing and the electrolyte chamber, thehead of said plunger in this position being so disposed in said secondpassage as to engage a sealing element disposed therein to therewith afluid-tight seal, a water actuated battery means in said secondcompartment; and electric circuit means connecting the anode and cathodeof said electrolytic timer whereby upon activation of said battery anelectric current flow is established to said timer to effectelectrolytic erosion of said enlarged head on said anode and to maintaincurrent flow until sufficient erosion renders the anode small enough tofit through The second passage whereupon the plunger is actuated by thespring urging the plunger head completely through said passage and outinto said second compartment thereby rendering ineffective the sealbetween the plunger head and the first passage thereby establishingfluid communication between said first compartment, said secondcompartment and the interior of the mine casing.